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Duffy's extra dip

Among prominent reforms left out of the Tier 6 pension program agreed to by Gov. Andrew Cuomo and legislative leaders last week was one that would have barred “double-dipping” — retiring from one public job and collecting a pension, then signing on for another public job and banking that salary, as well.

Double-dipping may not be a crushing burden on taxpayers. The employee has earned his or her pension, and deserves to be paid for the new job.

What is galling is that taxpayers are paying the employee twice. That’s not the way it’s supposed to work. Choose one or the other, but not both.

Lt. Gov. Robert Duffy has been touting the state’s new Tier 6 pension plan, and visited Syracuse last week to talk about how much it will save taxpayers. He didn’t talk about double-dippers, however. Little wonder: He’s one himself.

Duffy, 57, is the former mayor of Rochester, police chief and line officer. Since 2010, he has been collecting $70,255 per year in retirement benefits. He also earns $151,500 as Cuomo’s second-in-command.

A spokesperson for Duffy defended the boss by noting that “he voluntarily chose not to earn any additional credits toward his pension, even though he was entitled to.”

Thanks for small favors. If he had gone for the extra credits, would that qualify as triple-dipping?